Fulham are hoping to sell naming rights for their new all-seater stadium
for around £10 million.
The club is spending £70m redeveloping Craven Cottage at the end
of the season and wants to recoup some of the outlay in a 10-year deal.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
Bishops
Park approach to the proposed new Craven Cottage |
|
Leading sports marketing company IMG has been brought in to talk to wealthy
companies.
If Fulham get the price they want, it would be one of the biggest deals
of its kind in the country.
Bolton sold their naming rights and club sponsorship to Reebok in a deal
worth around £1m-a-year in 1997 when they moved to a new stadium,
and Middlesbrough secured a £3.5m 10-year package from BT Cellnet
for their new ground in 1994.
Other similar agreements, such as Bradford's with Bradford and Bingley,
were much less lucrative.
But Leeds are hoping to cover the cost of their planned new £60m
stadium by selling permanent naming rights. Executives at the Millennium
Stadium in Cardiff are hoping to get £20m for adopting a new corporate
identity.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
River
view of the proposed new Craven Cottage |
|
Fulham's deal will need to be in place in time for the scheduled completion
of their new 30,000-seat arena in the summer of 2003.
The club has an agreement to play at Queens Park Rangers' Loftus Road ground
while work takes place next season. The deal includes an option to extend
their stay for a year.
But the fee Fulham can attract for naming rights will depend largely
on the team's success in the Premiership.
Jean Tigana's side are 10th as they prepare to play Blackburn at Craven
Cottage tomorrow.